Bishop Matthew Kukah of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto has disclosed that President Bola Tinubu did not sign the peace accord during the 2023 presidential election when he was a candidate. Kukah, a key member of the National Peace Committee led by former Head of State General Abdulsalami Abubakar, made this revelation on Sunday in Benin City during an Edo Election Security Townhall meeting.
Kukah explained that while the peace accord has become a traditional practice in Nigerian elections over the last decade, it remains a voluntary and moral agreement. The committee, he noted, cannot compel any candidate to sign the document. “The peace accord is not part of the Electoral Act or any law. It’s a moral exercise. We can’t force anyone to participate,” Kukah stated.
Reflecting on past elections, Kukah pointed out that during the 2019 elections, former Vice President and PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, initially failed to sign the peace accord, which the opposition exploited. Abubakar later signed the accord the following day.
In the 2023 election, Tinubu also did not sign the agreement. Kukah remarked, “It wasn’t the fault of the National Peace Committee, but it’s unfortunate that the political opposition didn’t capitalize on it as they did in 2019.”
Kukah emphasized that while the committee cannot take legal action against any candidate for failing to sign the peace accord, such an action sends a negative message to the public, which can be easily manipulated by opposing parties. “The failure to sign doesn’t necessarily break any law, but it gives the wrong impression, which the opposition can exploit,” he added.
